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Vanuatu
 
[New Hebrides Anglo-French Commission (1887-1906)]
 1887 - 20 Oct 1906 Anglo-French Administration 
 
[New Hebrides British Blue Ensign (1906-1953)]
         20 Oct 1906 - 1953  British Administration
 
[New Hebrides British Blue Ensign (1953-1980)]
         1953 - 18 Feb 1980  British Administration
 
[French flag]
 20 Oct 1906 - 18 Feb 1980 French Administration

[flag of Provisional Popular Govenment Vanuatu Party, 1977-78]
 29 Nov 1977 - 11 May 1978 VP People's Prov. Govt. 

[Vanuatu]
                    Adopted 18 Feb 1980

Map of Vanuatu
Hear National Anthem
"Yumi, Yumi, Yumi"
 (We, We, We)
Text of National Anthem
Adopted 1980
Constitution
(30 Jul 1980)
Capital: Port-Vila 
Currency: Vatu (VUV)
National Holiday: 30 Jul (1980) 
Independence Day
Population: 215,446 (2008)
GDP: $983.2 million (2008)
Exports: $40 million (2006)
Imports: $156 million (2006)
Ethnic groups: Ni-Vanuatu (indigenous Melanesian) 98.5%,
 French and European 1%, Vietnamese, Chinese and other 0.7%, 
other Pacific Islanders 0.4% (1999)
Total Paramilitary Force: 200 (2005)
Merchant marine: 54 ships (2008)
Religions: Protestant 70% (of which Presbyterian 32%, 
Anglican 13%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11%), Roman
Catholic 13%, traditional
beliefs (including John Frum cargo
cult) 5%, other 12% (2005)
International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, ADB, APM, BTWC, C, CTBT, CWC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, IOC, ISA, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, PC, PIF, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Vanuatu Index
Chronology

30 Apr 1606                Discovered by Spanish Capt. Pedro Fernández de
                             Quirós, named Terra Austrialis del Espiritu
                             Santo.
23 May 1768                Sighted by Louis-Antoine de Bougainville,
                             and named Archipel de Grandes Cyclades.
17 Jul 1774                Visited by British Capt. James Cook, named
                             New Hebrides.
1824 - Feb 1878            British protectorate declared (contested
                             by France).
Feb 1878                   Neutral territory, British settlers under 
                             jurisdiction of the governor of Fiji
16 Nov 1887                Rule by joint Anglo-French naval commissions.
1900                       French settlers under the jurisdiction of the 
                             governor of New Caledonia.
20 Oct 1906                Anglo-French condominium
                             (New Hebrides/Nouvelles-Hébrides
)
1906 - 1976                Part of the British Western Pacific Territories.
22 Jul 1940 - 1945         French administration loyal to Free French.
 1 Jun 1980 - 31 Aug 1980  Attempted secession by Espiritu Santo (Vemerana).
30 Jul 1980                Independence (Republic of Vanuatu).

Vemerana
(1980)
Tanna
(1973-74, 1980)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

British Resident Commissioners (subordinated to the high commissioners 
for the Western Pacific [at Fiji to 1952, then at the Solomon Islands])
1887 - 1902                British Naval Commissioners
1902 - 1907                Ernest Goldfinch Rason             (b. 1851 - d. 1915)
Dec 1907 - 1924            Merton King                        (b. 18.. - d. 1939)
1924 - 17 Aug 1927         Geoffrey Bingham Whistle
r          (b. 1878? - d. 1927)
                             Smith-Rewse           
1927 - 1940                George Andrew Joy                  (b. 1896 - d. 1974)
1940 - 1950                Richard Denis Blandy               (b. 1891 - d. 1964)
1950 - 1955                Hubert James Marlowe Flaxman       (b. 1893 - d. 1976)
                             (from 10 Jun 1954, Sir Hubert James Marlowe Flaxman)
1955 - 1962                John Shaw Rennie                   (b. 1917 - d. 1981)
1962 - 1966                Alexander Mair Wilkie              (b. 1917 - d. 1966)
1966 - 1973                Colin Hamilton Allan               (b. 1921 - d. 1993)
1973 - 1975                
Roger William Houssemayne du       (b. 1922)
                             Boulay
1975 - Oct 1978            John Stuart Champion               (b. 1921 - d. 1994)
Nov 1978 - 1980            
Andrew Christopher Stuart          (b. 1928)
British High Commissioners (in London)
Dec 1973 - 1976            Edward Noel Larmour                (b. 1916 - d. 1999)
Dec 1976 - 1977            Henry Sydney Herbert Stanley       (b. 1920 - d. 1995)
1977 - 1980                Richard Stratton                   (b. 1924 - d. 1988)
French Resident Commissioners (subordinated to the high commissioners in the
Pacific Ocean [from 22 Mar 1907 the governors of New Caledonia])
1887 - 1901                French Naval Commissioners
1901 - 1904                Gaudence Charles Faraut
1904 - Jan 1908            Charles Bord
1908 - 1909                Charles Henri Adrien Noufflard     (b. 1872 - d. 1936)
1909 - 1911                Jules Martin                       (b. 1855 - d. 19..)
1911 - 1913                Jules Vincent Repiquet             (b. 1874 - d. 1960)
1913 - 1916                Jacques Louis Miramende (1st time)
1916 - 1918                Edmond Lippmann                    (b. 1845 - d. 19..)
1918 - 1919                Lucien Hugues Arthur Nielly        (b. 1880 - d. 1959)
1919 - 1920                Alfred Solari
1920 - 1921                Jacques Louis Miramende (2nd time)
1921 - 1923                Henri Joseph Marie d'Arboussier
                             (1st time)
1923 - 1925                Auguste Adolphe Joseph Marie
                             Raoul de la Vaissière
1925 - 1929                Henri Joseph Marie d'Arboussier
                             (2nd time)
1929 - 1930                Gabriel Henri Joseph Thaly
1930 - 1931                Maurice Georges Tronet  
1931 - 1933                Antoine Louis Carlotti             (b. 1871 - d. 1956)
1933 - 1935                Henri Camille Sautot (1st time)    (b. 1885 - d. 1963)
1935 - 1937                Fernand Gaston Georges Émile       (b. 1896 - d. 19..)
                             Robert Casimir
1937 - 1940                Henri Camille Sautot (2nd time)    (s.a.)
1940 - 1947                Robert Charles Henri Kuter
1947 - 1949                André Ménard                       (b. 1907 - d. 1988)
1949 - 1958                Pierre Amédée Joseph Émile Jean    (b. 1913 - d. 1996)
                             Anthonioz 
1958 - 1960                Benjamin Marcel Favreau            (b. 1915 - d. 1994)
1960 - 1965                Maurice Charles Jules Delauney     (b. 1919 - d. 2009)
1965 - 1969                Jacques Mouradian                  (b. 1910 - d. 1992)
1969 - 1974                Robert Jules Amédée Langlois       (b. 1922)
1974 - 1978                Robert Gauger
1978                       Bernard Pottier                    (b. 1942)
1978 - 1980                Jean-Jacques Robert                (b. 1920)
Presidents
30 Jul 1980 - 17 Feb 1984  Ati George Sokomanu (1st time)     (b. 1937)            VP
17 Feb 1984 -  8 Mar 1984  Frederick Karlomuana Timakata      (b. 1937 - d. 1995)  VP
                             (1st time)(acting) 
 8 Mar 1984 - 12 Jan 1989  Ati George Sokomanu (2nd time)     (s.a.)               VP
12 Jan 1989 - 30 Jan 1989  Onneyn Tahi (acting)               (b. 1918 - d. 1998)  VP
30 Jan 1989 - 30 Jan 1994  Frederick Karlomuana Timakata      (s.a.)               VP
                             (2nd time) 
30 Jan 1994 -  2 Mar 1994  Alfred Maseng Nalo (1st time)      (b. 19.. - d. 2004)  UPM
                             (acting)
 2 Mar 1994 -  2 Mar 1999  Jean-Marie Léyé Lenalcau           (b. 1932)            UPM
                             Manatawai 
 2 Mar 1999 - 24 Mar 1999  Edward Nipake Natapei Tua          (b. 1954)            VP
                             Fanua`ariki (acting)
24 Mar 1999 - 24 Mar 2004  John Bennett Bani                  (b. 1941)            UPM
24 Mar 2004 - 12 Apr 2004  Roger Tom Abiut (1st time)(acting) (b. 1972?)           LP
12 Apr 2004 - 11 May 2004  Alfred Maseng Nalo (2nd time)      (s.a.)               UPM
11 May 2004 - 29 Jul 2004  Roger Tom Abiut (2nd time)(acting) (s.a.)               LP
29 Jul 2004 - 16 Aug 2004  Josias Moli (acting)                                    UPM
16 Aug 2004 - 16 Aug 2009  Kalkot Matas Kelekele Mauliliu     (b. 1949)            NUP
16 Aug 2009 -  2 Sep 2009  Maxime Carlot Korman
(acting)      (b. 1942)            UPM
 2 Sep 2009 -              Iolu Johnson Abil                  (b. 1942)            VP

Chief ministers
29 Nov 1977 - 22 Dec 1978  George Kaltoi Kalsakau             (b. 1930 - d. 2001)  NUP
29 Nov 1977 - 11 May 1978  Walter Hadye Lini (in opposition)  (b. 1942 - d. 1999)  VP
                            (chairman of People's Provisional Government
)    
22 Dec 1978 - 29 Nov 1979  Gérard Leymang                     (b. 1937 - d. 2002)  TU

29 Nov 1979 - 30 Jul 1980  Walter Hadye Lini                  (s.a.)               VP
Prime ministers
30 Jul 1980 -  6 Sep 1991  Walter Hadye Lini                  (s.a.)               VP
18 Dec 1988 - 19 Dec 1988  Barak Tame Sopé Maautamata         (b. 1951)            MPP
                             (in opposition)
 6 Sep 1991 - 16 Dec 1991  Donald Kalpokas Masikevanua        (b. 1943)            VP
                             (1st time) 
16 Dec 1991 - 21 Dec 1995  Maxime Carlot Korman (1st time)    (s.a.)               UPM
21 Dec 1995 - 23 Feb 1996  Serge Rialuth Vohor (1st time)     (b. 1955)            UPM
23 Feb 1996 - 30 Sep 1996  Maxime Carlot Korman (2nd time)    (s.a.)               UPM
30 Sep 1996 - 30 Mar 1998  Serge Rialuth Vohor (2nd time)     (s.a.)               UPM
30 Mar 1998 - 25 Nov 1999  Donald Kalpokas Masikevanua        (s.a.)               VP
                             (2nd time)
25 Nov 1999 - 13 Apr 2001  Barak Tame Sopé Maautamata         (s.a.)               MPP
13 Apr 2001 - 29 Jul 2004  Edward Nipake Natapei Tua          (s.a.)               VP
                             Fanua`ariki (1st time) 
29 Jul 2004 - 11 Dec 2004  Serge Rialuth Vohor (2nd time)     (s.a.)               UPM
11 Dec 2004 - 22 Sep 2008  Ham Lini Vanuaroroa                (b. 1951)            NUP
22 Sep 2008 -              Edward Nipake Natapei Tua          (s.a.)               VP
                             Fanua`ariki (2nd time) 

 
 
[Na-Griamel League (Vanuatu)]
       27 Dec 1975 - 1977, 
       28 May 1980 - 1980
      Federation Na-Griamel
[N'Makiaute (Malekula island, Vanuatu)]
   1980 N'Makiaute separatists
 
 

Territorial Dispute: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu
and France.

Party abbreviations: LP = Labour Party; MPP = Melanesian Progressive Party (Anglophone);
NUP = National United Party (social-democratic, Anglophone); TU = Tan Union; UPM = Union des Partis Moderés (Union of Moderate Parties, conservative, Francophone); VP = Vanua'aku Pati (Vanuatu Party/Party of Our Land, socialist, Anglophone, as New Hebrides National Party 1971-77)



Vemerana

[State of Vemerana]
 
Map of Vemerana
Capital: Luganville
(Santo Town)
Population: N/A

 1 Jun 1980                Independent State of Vemarana declared on Espiriu Santo
                             
Island (not recognized).
24 Jul 1980                Condominium authorities occupy the capital Luganville.
31 Aug 1980                State suppressed.

Chief Minister of the Provisional Government
 1 Jun 1980 - 31 Aug 1980  Moli Jimmy Tubou Patuntun Stevens  (b. 1927 - d. 1994)  NG

Party abbreviation: NG = Nagriamel Movement (Ni-Vanuatu traditionalist, anti-independence)



Tanna and Tafea

[Nation of Tanna]
               Tanna Flag 1974

[TAFEA Nation (Vanuatu) possible flag]
                Possible Tafea Flag 1980

24 Mar 1974                Independence of Tanna Nation proclaimed on Tanna Island 
                             at Imafin (not recognized).
18 Jun 1974                French forces occupy the island.
29 Jun 1974                Suppressed by Condominium authorities.
15 Feb 1980                Independence of Tafea proclaimed by the Kapiel Alliance
                             on Tanna, Anatom, Futuna, Erromango and Aniwa
                             islands
(Provisional Government of Tafea).
26 May 1980                British forces take capital Lamlu, ending the rebellion.

King
1973 - 29 Jun 1974         Antoine Fournalli
Leader
15 Feb 1980 - 26 May 1980  ....







©2000  Ben Cahoon